NCB last week had a limited roll out of its NCB digital payment app, with it now available to only its Visa credit card customers.

The app, which works similarly to Apple Pay and Samsung Pay, can be used with any point-of-sale machine on which a card can be tapped. NCB said it expects significant growth in take-up as it expands the app in the coming months to facilitate Visa debit and MasterCard credit and prepaid cards.

“Contactless transactions are 63 per cent faster than paying with cash, and up to 53 per cent faster than swiping, or inserting a payment card into a POS terminal,” shared Danielle Cameron Duncan, general manager of NCB’s Payments and Digital Channels Division. “Consumers want the speed and ease of using modern, world-class payment solutions wherever they go — and they want payment options that can keep pace with their lives.”

Similar to other popular digital payment applications, NCB Pay allows users to link their physical payment cards to a digital wallet on their smartphone. Users can then make payments at compatible point-of-sale (POS) terminals, or near-field communication (NFC)-enabled payment devices using only their NCB Pay app.

Cameron Duncan also pointed out that there has been a significant increase in contactless transactions over the past two years as more consumers opt for payments which do not require them to swipe, enter a personal identification number (PIN), or sign to authorise transactions.

“The pandemic has changed the way consumers shop and pay, and their appetite for convenient and secure purchase options has increased,” Cameron Duncan said.

While this first version of the app is only available for Android smartphones via the Google Play store, Cameron Duncan confirms that the developers of the app are already working on future iterations which will include additional payment options and compatibility with other operating systems. According to Cameron Duncan, the current focus for the team is ensuring that the app is rigorously tested, and feedback from customers is incorporated.

“With NCB Pay customers will no longer have to worry about having their physical cards with them while shopping,” Cameron Duncan said. “Customers will be able to digitise their existing NCB credit and prepaid cards, which are significantly less susceptible to common fraud tactics. In addition to the app’s built-in security and encryption features, we will soon be able to replace expired, lost, or stolen cards immediately in the wallet, so no time is lost while waiting for a replacement card.”